Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1078 By Senator Hutson 7-00576A-22 20221078__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to soil and water conservation 3 districts; repealing ch. 582, F.S., relating to soil 4 and water conservation districts; abolishing all soil 5 and water conservation districts in this state; 6 transferring the assets and liabilities of such 7 districts; amending ss. 120.52, 189.0695, 259.032, 8 259.036, 373.1391, 373.1401, 373.591, 403.067, 570.66, 9 and 570.921, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes 10 made by the act; providing an effective date. 11 12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13 14 Section 1.Chapter 582, Florida Statutes, consisting of 15 sections 582.01, 582.02, 582.055, 582.06, 582.10, 582.11, 16 582.12, 582.13, 582.14, 582.15, 582.16, 582.18, 582.19, 582.20, 17 582.28, 582.29, 582.30, 582.31, and 582.32, is repealed. 18 Section 2.The following soil and water conservation 19 districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 20 district are transferred to the Northwest Florida Water 21 Management District: 22 (1)Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District. 23 (2)Yellow River Soil and Water Conservation District. 24 (3)Choctawhatchee River Soil and Water Conservation 25 District. 26 (4)Holmes Creek Soil and Water Conservation District. 27 (5)Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation District. 28 (6)Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District. 29 (7)Chipola River Soil and Water Conservation District. 30 (8)Tupelo Soil and Water Conservation District. 31 (9)Gadsden Soil and Water Conservation District. 32 (10)Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. 33 (11)Leon Soil and Water Conservation District. 34 (12)Wakulla Soil and Water Conservation District. 35 (13)Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. 36 Section 3.The following soil and water conservation 37 districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 38 district are transferred to the Suwannee River Water Management 39 District: 40 (1)Taylor Soil and Water Conservation District. 41 (2)Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District. 42 (3)Suwannee County Conservation District. 43 (4)Lafayette Soil and Water Conservation District. 44 (5)Dixie Soil and Water Conservation District. 45 (6)Santa Fe Soil and Water Conservation District. 46 (7)Gilchrist Soil and Water Conservation District. 47 (8)Levy Soil and Water Conservation District. 48 (9)Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District. 49 (10)Alachua Soil and Water Conservation District. 50 Section 4.The following soil and water conservation 51 districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 52 district are transferred to the St. Johns River Water Management 53 District: 54 (1)Nassau Soil and Water Conservation District. 55 (2)Baker Soil and Water Conservation District. 56 (3)Duval Soil and Water Conservation District. 57 (4)Clay Soil and Water Conservation District. 58 (5)St. Johns Soil and Water Conservation District. 59 (6)Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District. 60 (7)Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. 61 (8)Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District. 62 (9)Lake Soil and Water Conservation District. 63 (10)Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District. 64 (11)Orange Soil and Water Conservation District. 65 (12)Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District. 66 (13)Indian River Soil and Water Conservation District. 67 Section 5.The following soil and water conservation 68 districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 69 district are transferred to the Southwest Florida Water 70 Management District: 71 (1)Sumter Soil and Water Conservation District. 72 (2)Polk Soil and Water Conservation District. 73 (3)Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District. 74 (4)Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District. 75 (5)Hardee Soil and Water Conservation District. 76 (6)Peace River Soil and Water Conservation District. 77 (7)Sarasota Soil and Water Conservation District. 78 (8)Charlotte Soil and Water Conservation District. 79 Section 6.The following soil and water conservation 80 districts are abolished and all assets and liabilities of each 81 district are transferred to the South Florida Water Management 82 District: 83 (1)Osceola Soil and Water Conservation District. 84 (2)Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District. 85 (3)Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District. 86 (4)Collier Soil and Water Conservation District. 87 (5)St. Lucie Soil and Water Conservation District. 88 (6)Martin Soil and Water Conservation District. 89 (7)Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District. 90 (8)Broward Soil and Water Conservation District. 91 (9)South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District. 92 Section 7.The Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation 93 District is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the 94 district are transferred to Santa Rosa County. 95 Section 8.The Glades Soil and Water Conservation District 96 is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 97 transferred to Glades County. 98 Section 9.The Hendry Soil and Water Conservation District 99 is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 100 transferred to Hendry County. 101 Section 10.The Madison Soil and Water Conservation 102 District is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the 103 district are transferred to Madison County. 104 Section 11.The Union Soil and Water Conservation District 105 is dissolved and the assets and liabilities of the district are 106 transferred to Union County. 107 Section 12.Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 108 120.52, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 109 120.52Definitions.As used in this act: 110 (1)Agency means the following officers or governmental 111 entities if acting pursuant to powers other than those derived 112 from the constitution: 113 (a)The Governor; each state officer and state department, 114 and each departmental unit described in s. 20.04; the Board of 115 Governors of the State University System; the Commission on 116 Ethics; the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; a 117 regional water supply authority; a regional planning agency; a 118 multicounty special district, but only if a majority of its 119 governing board is comprised of nonelected persons; educational 120 units; and each entity described in chapters 163, 373, and 380, 121 and 582 and s. 186.504. 122 123 This definition does not include a municipality or legal entity 124 created solely by a municipality; a legal entity or agency 125 created in whole or in part pursuant to part II of chapter 361; 126 a metropolitan planning organization created pursuant to s. 127 339.175; a separate legal or administrative entity created 128 pursuant to s. 339.175 of which a metropolitan planning 129 organization is a member; an expressway authority pursuant to 130 chapter 348 or any transportation authority or commission under 131 chapter 343 or chapter 349; or a legal or administrative entity 132 created by an interlocal agreement pursuant to s. 163.01(7), 133 unless any party to such agreement is otherwise an agency as 134 defined in this subsection. 135 Section 13.Subsection (3) of section 189.0695, Florida 136 Statutes, is amended to read: 137 189.0695Independent special districts; performance 138 reviews. 139 (3)The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 140 Accountability must conduct a performance review of all 141 independent mosquito control special districts within the 142 classifications described in paragraphs (a) and (b) and may 143 contract as needed to complete the requirements of this 144 subsection. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 145 Accountability shall submit the final report of the performance 146 review to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 147 House of Representatives as follows: 148 (a)For all independent mosquito control districts as 149 defined in s. 388.011, no later than September 30, 2023. 150 (b)For all soil and water conservation districts as 151 defined in s. 582.01, no later than September 30, 2024. 152 Section 14.Subsection (5), paragraphs (d) and (e) of 153 subsection (7), and paragraph (b) of subsection (8) of section 154 259.032, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 155 259.032Conservation and recreation lands. 156 (5)The board of trustees may enter into any contract 157 necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The lead 158 land managing agencies designated by the board of trustees also 159 are directed by the Legislature to enter into contracts or 160 interagency agreements with other governmental entities, 161 including local soil and water conservation districts, or 162 private land managers who have the expertise to perform specific 163 management activities which a lead agency lacks, or which would 164 cost more to provide in-house. Such activities shall include, 165 but not be limited to, controlled burning, road and ditch 166 maintenance, mowing, and wildlife assessments. 167 (7)All lands managed under this chapter and s. 253.034 168 shall be: 169 (d)Concurrent with the approval of the acquisition 170 contract pursuant to s. 253.025(4)(c) for any interest in lands 171 except those lands acquired pursuant to s. 259.1052, the board 172 shall designate an agency or agencies to manage such lands. The 173 board shall evaluate and amend, as appropriate, the management 174 policy statement for the project as provided by s. 259.035 to 175 ensure that the policy statement is compatible with 176 conservation, recreation, or both. For any fee simple 177 acquisition of a parcel which is or will be leased back for 178 agricultural purposes, or any acquisition of a less than fee 179 interest in land that is or will be used for agricultural 180 purposes, the board shall first consider having a soil and water 181 conservation district, created pursuant to chapter 582, manage 182 and monitor such interests. 183 (e)State agencies designated to manage lands acquired 184 under this chapter or with funds deposited into the Land 185 Acquisition Trust Fund, except those lands acquired under s. 186 259.1052, may contract with local governments and soil and water 187 conservation districts to assist in management activities, 188 including the responsibility of being the lead land manager. 189 Such land management contracts may include a provision for the 190 transfer of management funding to the local government or soil 191 and water conservation district from the land acquisition trust 192 fund of the lead land managing agency in an amount adequate for 193 the local government or soil and water conservation district to 194 perform its contractual land management responsibilities and 195 proportionate to its responsibilities, and which otherwise would 196 have been expended by the state agency to manage the property. 197 (8) 198 (b)Individual management plans required by s. 253.034(5), 199 for parcels over 160 acres, shall be developed with input from 200 an advisory group. Members of this advisory group shall include, 201 at a minimum, representatives of the lead land managing agency, 202 comanaging entities, local private property owners, the 203 appropriate soil and water conservation district, a local 204 conservation organization, and a local elected official. If 205 habitat or potentially restorable habitat for imperiled species 206 is located on state lands, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 207 Commission and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer 208 Services shall be included on any advisory group required under 209 chapter 253, and the short-term and long-term management goals 210 required under chapter 253 must advance the goals and objectives 211 of imperiled species management without restricting other uses 212 identified in the management plan. The advisory group shall 213 conduct at least one public hearing within the county in which 214 the parcel or project is located. For those parcels or projects 215 that are within more than one county, at least one areawide 216 public hearing shall be acceptable and the lead managing agency 217 shall invite a local elected official from each county. The 218 areawide public hearing shall be held in the county in which the 219 core parcels are located. Notice of such public hearing shall be 220 posted on the parcel or project designated for management, 221 advertised in a paper of general circulation, and announced at a 222 scheduled meeting of the local governing body before the actual 223 public hearing. The management prospectus required pursuant to 224 paragraph (7)(c) shall be available to the public for a period 225 of 30 days before the public hearing. 226 227 By July 1 of each year, each governmental agency and each 228 private entity designated to manage lands shall report to the 229 Secretary of Environmental Protection on the progress of 230 funding, staffing, and resource management of every project for 231 which the agency or entity is responsible. 232 Section 15.Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 233 259.036, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 234 259.036Management review teams. 235 (1)To determine whether conservation, preservation, and 236 recreation lands titled in the name of the board are being 237 managed for purposes that are compatible with conservation, 238 preservation, or recreation in accordance with a land management 239 plan adopted pursuant to s. 259.032, the board, acting through 240 the department, shall cause periodic management reviews to be 241 conducted as follows: 242 (a)The department shall establish a regional land 243 management review team composed of the following members: 244 1.One individual who is from the county or local community 245 in which the parcel or project is located and who is selected by 246 the county commission in the county which is most impacted by 247 the acquisition. 248 2.One individual from the Division of Recreation and Parks 249 of the department. 250 3.One individual from the Florida Forest Service of the 251 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 252 4.One individual from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation 253 Commission. 254 5.One individual from the departments district office in 255 which the parcel is located. 256 6.A private land manager, preferably from the local 257 community, mutually agreeable to the state agency 258 representatives. 259 7.A member or staff from the jurisdictional water 260 management district or local soil and water conservation 261 district board of supervisors. 262 8.A member of a conservation organization. 263 Section 16.Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 264 373.1391, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 265 373.1391Management of real property. 266 (1) 267 (d)For any fee simple acquisition of a parcel which is or 268 will be leased back for agricultural purposes, or for any 269 acquisition of a less-than-fee interest in lands that is or will 270 be used for agricultural purposes, the district governing board 271 shall first consider having a soil and water conservation 272 district created pursuant to chapter 582 manage and monitor such 273 interest. 274 Section 17.Section 373.1401, Florida Statutes, is amended 275 to read: 276 373.1401Management of lands of water management 277 districts.In addition to provisions contained in s. 373.1391(1) 278 for soil and water conservation districts, The governing board 279 of each water management district may contract with a 280 nongovernmental person or entity, any federal or state agency, a 281 county, a municipality, or any other governmental entity, or 282 environmental nonprofit organization to provide for the 283 improvement, management, or maintenance of any real property 284 owned by or under the control of the district. 285 Section 18.Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section 286 373.591, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 287 373.591Management review teams. 288 (1)To determine whether conservation, preservation, and 289 recreation lands titled in the names of the water management 290 districts are being managed for the purposes for which they were 291 acquired and in accordance with land management objectives, the 292 water management districts shall establish land management 293 review teams to conduct periodic management reviews. The land 294 management review teams shall be composed of the following 295 members: 296 (d)A member of the local soil and water conservation 297 district board of supervisors. 298 Section 19.Subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection 299 (3), paragraph (a) of subsection (6), and paragraph (a) of 300 subsection (7) of section 403.067, Florida Statutes, are amended 301 to read: 302 403.067Establishment and implementation of total maximum 303 daily loads. 304 (1)LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.In furtherance of 305 public policy established in s. 403.021, the Legislature 306 declares that the waters of the state are among its most basic 307 resources and that the development of a total maximum daily load 308 program for state waters as required by s. 303(d) of the Clean 309 Water Act, Pub. L. No. 92-500, 33 U.S.C. ss. 1251 et seq. will 310 promote improvements in water quality throughout the state 311 through the coordinated control of point and nonpoint sources of 312 pollution. The Legislature finds that, while point and nonpoint 313 sources of pollution have been managed through numerous 314 programs, better coordination among these efforts and additional 315 management measures may be needed in order to achieve the 316 restoration of impaired water bodies. The scientifically based 317 total maximum daily load program is necessary to fairly and 318 equitably allocate pollution loads to both nonpoint and point 319 sources. Implementation of the allocation shall include 320 consideration of a cost-effective approach coordinated between 321 contributing point and nonpoint sources of pollution for 322 impaired water bodies or water body segments and may include the 323 opportunity to implement the allocation through nonregulatory 324 and incentive-based programs. The Legislature further declares 325 that the Department of Environmental Protection shall be the 326 lead agency in administering this program and shall coordinate 327 with local governments, water management districts, the 328 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, local soil and 329 water conservation districts, environmental groups, regulated 330 interests, other appropriate state agencies, and affected 331 pollution sources in developing and executing the total maximum 332 daily load program. 333 (3)ASSESSMENT. 334 (a)Based on the priority ranking and schedule for a 335 particular listed water body or water body segment, the 336 department shall conduct a total maximum daily load assessment 337 of the basin in which the water body or water body segment is 338 located using the methodology developed pursuant to paragraph 339 (b). In conducting this assessment, the department shall 340 coordinate with the local water management district, the 341 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, other 342 appropriate state agencies, soil and water conservation 343 districts, environmental groups, regulated interests, and other 344 interested parties. 345 (6)CALCULATION AND ALLOCATION. 346 (a)Calculation of total maximum daily load. 347 1.Prior to developing a total maximum daily load 348 calculation for each water body or water body segment on the 349 list specified in subsection (4), the department shall 350 coordinate with applicable local governments, water management 351 districts, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 352 other appropriate state agencies, local soil and water 353 conservation districts, environmental groups, regulated 354 interests, and affected pollution sources to determine the 355 information required, accepted methods of data collection and 356 analysis, and quality control/quality assurance requirements. 357 The analysis may include mathematical water quality modeling 358 using approved procedures and methods. 359 2.The department shall develop total maximum daily load 360 calculations for each water body or water body segment on the 361 list described in subsection (4) according to the priority 362 ranking and schedule unless the impairment of such waters is due 363 solely to activities other than point and nonpoint sources of 364 pollution. For waters determined to be impaired due solely to 365 factors other than point and nonpoint sources of pollution, no 366 total maximum daily load will be required. A total maximum daily 367 load may be required for those waters that are impaired 368 predominantly due to activities other than point and nonpoint 369 sources. The total maximum daily load calculation shall 370 establish the amount of a pollutant that a water body or water 371 body segment may receive from all sources without exceeding 372 water quality standards, and shall account for seasonal 373 variations and include a margin of safety that takes into 374 account any lack of knowledge concerning the relationship 375 between effluent limitations and water quality. The total 376 maximum daily load may be based on a pollutant load reduction 377 goal developed by a water management district, provided that 378 such pollutant load reduction goal is promulgated by the 379 department in accordance with the procedural and substantive 380 requirements of this subsection. 381 (7)DEVELOPMENT OF BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS AND 382 IMPLEMENTATION OF TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS. 383 (a)Basin management action plans. 384 1.In developing and implementing the total maximum daily 385 load for a water body, the department, or the department in 386 conjunction with a water management district, may develop a 387 basin management action plan that addresses some or all of the 388 watersheds and basins tributary to the water body. Such plan 389 must integrate the appropriate management strategies available 390 to the state through existing water quality protection programs 391 to achieve the total maximum daily loads and may provide for 392 phased implementation of these management strategies to promote 393 timely, cost-effective actions as provided for in s. 403.151. 394 The plan must establish a schedule implementing the management 395 strategies, establish a basis for evaluating the plans 396 effectiveness, and identify feasible funding strategies for 397 implementing the plans management strategies. The management 398 strategies may include regional treatment systems or other 399 public works, when appropriate, and voluntary trading of water 400 quality credits to achieve the needed pollutant load reductions. 401 2.A basin management action plan must equitably allocate, 402 pursuant to paragraph (6)(b), pollutant reductions to individual 403 basins, as a whole to all basins, or to each identified point 404 source or category of nonpoint sources, as appropriate. For 405 nonpoint sources for which best management practices have been 406 adopted, the initial requirement specified by the plan must be 407 those practices developed pursuant to paragraph (c). When 408 appropriate, the plan may take into account the benefits of 409 pollutant load reduction achieved by point or nonpoint sources 410 that have implemented management strategies to reduce pollutant 411 loads, including best management practices, before the 412 development of the basin management action plan. The plan must 413 also identify the mechanisms that will address potential future 414 increases in pollutant loading. 415 3.The basin management action planning process is intended 416 to involve the broadest possible range of interested parties, 417 with the objective of encouraging the greatest amount of 418 cooperation and consensus possible. In developing a basin 419 management action plan, the department shall assure that key 420 stakeholders, including, but not limited to, applicable local 421 governments, water management districts, the Department of 422 Agriculture and Consumer Services, other appropriate state 423 agencies, local soil and water conservation districts, 424 environmental groups, regulated interests, and affected 425 pollution sources, are invited to participate in the process. 426 The department shall hold at least one public meeting in the 427 vicinity of the watershed or basin to discuss and receive 428 comments during the planning process and shall otherwise 429 encourage public participation to the greatest practicable 430 extent. Notice of the public meeting must be published in a 431 newspaper of general circulation in each county in which the 432 watershed or basin lies at least 5 days, but not more than 15 433 days, before the public meeting. A basin management action plan 434 does not supplant or otherwise alter any assessment made under 435 subsection (3) or subsection (4) or any calculation or initial 436 allocation. 437 4.Each new or revised basin management action plan shall 438 include: 439 a.The appropriate management strategies available through 440 existing water quality protection programs to achieve total 441 maximum daily loads, which may provide for phased implementation 442 to promote timely, cost-effective actions as provided for in s. 443 403.151; 444 b.A description of best management practices adopted by 445 rule; 446 c.A list of projects in priority ranking with a planning 447 level cost estimate and estimated date of completion for each 448 listed project; 449 d.The source and amount of financial assistance to be made 450 available by the department, a water management district, or 451 other entity for each listed project, if applicable; and 452 e.A planning-level estimate of each listed projects 453 expected load reduction, if applicable. 454 5.The department shall adopt all or any part of a basin 455 management action plan and any amendment to such plan by 456 secretarial order pursuant to chapter 120 to implement this 457 section. 458 6.The basin management action plan must include milestones 459 for implementation and water quality improvement, and an 460 associated water quality monitoring component sufficient to 461 evaluate whether reasonable progress in pollutant load 462 reductions is being achieved over time. An assessment of 463 progress toward these milestones shall be conducted every 5 464 years, and revisions to the plan shall be made as appropriate. 465 Revisions to the basin management action plan shall be made by 466 the department in cooperation with basin stakeholders. Revisions 467 to the management strategies required for nonpoint sources must 468 follow the procedures in subparagraph (c)4. Revised basin 469 management action plans must be adopted pursuant to subparagraph 470 5. 471 7.In accordance with procedures adopted by rule under 472 paragraph (9)(c), basin management action plans, and other 473 pollution control programs under local, state, or federal 474 authority as provided in subsection (4), may allow point or 475 nonpoint sources that will achieve greater pollutant reductions 476 than required by an adopted total maximum daily load or 477 wasteload allocation to generate, register, and trade water 478 quality credits for the excess reductions to enable other 479 sources to achieve their allocation; however, the generation of 480 water quality credits does not remove the obligation of a source 481 or activity to meet applicable technology requirements or 482 adopted best management practices. Such plans must allow trading 483 between NPDES permittees, and trading that may or may not 484 involve NPDES permittees, where the generation or use of the 485 credits involve an entity or activity not subject to department 486 water discharge permits whose owner voluntarily elects to obtain 487 department authorization for the generation and sale of credits. 488 8.The departments rule relating to the equitable 489 abatement of pollutants into surface waters do not apply to 490 water bodies or water body segments for which a basin management 491 plan that takes into account future new or expanded activities 492 or discharges has been adopted under this section. 493 9.In order to promote resilient wastewater utilities, if 494 the department identifies domestic wastewater treatment 495 facilities or onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems as 496 contributors of at least 20 percent of point source or nonpoint 497 source nutrient pollution or if the department determines 498 remediation is necessary to achieve the total maximum daily 499 load, a basin management action plan for a nutrient total 500 maximum daily load must include the following: 501 a.A wastewater treatment plan developed by each local 502 government, in cooperation with the department, the water 503 management district, and the public and private domestic 504 wastewater treatment facilities within the jurisdiction of the 505 local government, that addresses domestic wastewater. The 506 wastewater treatment plan must: 507 (I)Provide for construction, expansion, or upgrades 508 necessary to achieve the total maximum daily load requirements 509 applicable to the domestic wastewater treatment facility. 510 (II)Include the permitted capacity in average annual 511 gallons per day for the domestic wastewater treatment facility; 512 the average nutrient concentration and the estimated average 513 nutrient load of the domestic wastewater; a projected timeline 514 of the dates by which the construction of any facility 515 improvements will begin and be completed and the date by which 516 operations of the improved facility will begin; the estimated 517 cost of the improvements; and the identity of responsible 518 parties. 519 520 The wastewater treatment plan must be adopted as part of the 521 basin management action plan no later than July 1, 2025. A local 522 government that does not have a domestic wastewater treatment 523 facility in its jurisdiction is not required to develop a 524 wastewater treatment plan unless there is a demonstrated need to 525 establish a domestic wastewater treatment facility within its 526 jurisdiction to improve water quality necessary to achieve a 527 total maximum daily load. A local government is not responsible 528 for a private domestic wastewater facilitys compliance with a 529 basin management action plan unless such facility is operated 530 through a public-private partnership to which the local 531 government is a party. 532 b.An onsite sewage treatment and disposal system 533 remediation plan developed by each local government in 534 cooperation with the department, the Department of Health, water 535 management districts, and public and private domestic wastewater 536 treatment facilities. 537 (I)The onsite sewage treatment and disposal system 538 remediation plan must identify cost-effective and financially 539 feasible projects necessary to achieve the nutrient load 540 reductions required for onsite sewage treatment and disposal 541 systems. To identify cost-effective and financially feasible 542 projects for remediation of onsite sewage treatment and disposal 543 systems, the local government shall: 544 (A)Include an inventory of onsite sewage treatment and 545 disposal systems based on the best information available; 546 (B)Identify onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems 547 that would be eliminated through connection to existing or 548 future central domestic wastewater infrastructure in the 549 jurisdiction or domestic wastewater service area of the local 550 government, that would be replaced with or upgraded to enhanced 551 nutrient-reducing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, 552 or that would remain on conventional onsite sewage treatment and 553 disposal systems; 554 (C)Estimate the costs of potential onsite sewage treatment 555 and disposal system connections, upgrades, or replacements; and 556 (D)Identify deadlines and interim milestones for the 557 planning, design, and construction of projects. 558 (II)The department shall adopt the onsite sewage treatment 559 and disposal system remediation plan as part of the basin 560 management action plan no later than July 1, 2025, or as 561 required for Outstanding Florida Springs under s. 373.807. 562 10.When identifying wastewater projects in a basin 563 management action plan, the department may not require the 564 higher cost option if it achieves the same nutrient load 565 reduction as a lower cost option. A regulated entity may choose 566 a different cost option if it complies with the pollutant 567 reduction requirements of an adopted total maximum daily load 568 and meets or exceeds the pollution reduction requirement of the 569 original project. 570 Section 20.Section 570.66, Florida Statutes, is amended to 571 read: 572 570.66Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; 573 water policy.The commissioner may create an Office of 574 Agricultural Water Policy under the supervision of a senior 575 manager exempt under s. 110.205 in the Senior Management 576 Service. The commissioner may designate the bureaus and 577 positions in the various organizational divisions of the 578 department that report to the office relating to any matter over 579 which the department has jurisdiction in matters relating to 580 water policy affecting agriculture, application of such 581 policies, and coordination of such matters with state and 582 federal agencies. The office shall enforce and implement the 583 provisions of chapter 582 and rules relating to soil and water 584 conservation. 585 Section 21.Subsection (3) of section 570.921, Florida 586 Statutes, is amended to read: 587 570.921Environmental Stewardship Certification Program. 588 The department may establish the Environmental Stewardship 589 Certification Program consistent with this section. 590 (3)The Soil and Water Conservation Council created by s. 591 582.06 may develop and recommend to the department for adoption 592 additional criteria for receipt of an agricultural certification 593 which may include, but not be limited to: 594 (a)Comprehensive management of all on-farm resources. 595 (b)Promotion of environmental awareness and responsible 596 resource stewardship in agricultural or urban communities. 597 (c)Completion of a curriculum of study that is related to 598 environmental issues and regulation. 599 Section 22.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.